MARRYING A RUSSIAN IN ST. PETERSBURG FIVE STEPS TO A RUSSIAN MARRIAGE April 2012 U.S. citizens who plan to marry Russian citizens should familiarize themselves with the following information. Please note that the guidelines do not apply to Americans who intend marry other Americans or third-country nationals in Russia. The guidelines are subject to change without notice. SUMMARY The Russian government requires that foreigners who wish to marry in Russia have in their possession the originals of all pertinent civil documents (i.e. the last divorce certificate, passports, etc.) There is a one-month waiting period following application to marry. In St. Petersburg, further information concerning marriage procedures may be obtained by contacting one of the Palaces of Weddings: 28 Angliyskaya emb, tel.: 314-9848 or 52 Furshtatskaya Str., tel.: 273-7396 In the U.S., contact the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.: Russian Embassy, 2650 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20007, tel.: (202) 298-5700, www.russianembassy.org Step 1: REGISTER YOUR VISA Foreigners are required by Russian law to register their visas. Registration is normally handled by the visa sponsor or the hotel in which the foreigner is staying. Step 2: PREPARE A MARRIAGE LETTER AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MOSCOW (Please also see the U.S. Embassy’s webpage at http://moscow.usembassy.gov/marriage.html) U.S. citizens who intend to marry in Russia must complete the attached standard affidavit form (svidetel'stvo) in which they state their current marital status. The attached form must be completed in Russian and sworn to/affirmed in person before a U.S. Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (Due to Russian government regulations this service is available only at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and not at the U.S. Consulates General in St. Petersburg). The transliteration of your name should be identical to that on your Russian visa. The American Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy offers notarial services; the cost is $50.00 or the equivalent in rubles. You may schedule an appointment with the American Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy at http://moscow.usembassy.gov/acs-appointment.html Russian authorities consider the document valid for only three months after the U.S. Embassy officer notarizes it. The Embassy is located at 8 Bolshoy Deviatinsky per. Step 3: AUTHENTICATE THE MARRIAGE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN MOSCOW Updated April 2012 LETTER AT THE Authentication of the marriage letter may only be done in Moscow. This service is performed by the Department of Legalization of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The procedure costs around 200 rubles for a five-day return. Fees are paid at the Sberkassa located at the Department of Legalization. Department of Legalization, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Neopalimovskiy Pereulok, dom 12a (near Smolenskaya Metro). 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.-5 p.m. (4:30 p.m. on Fridays). Monday through Friday, telephone (495) 244-3797. Step 4: OBTAIN AN OFFICIAL NOTARIZED TRANSLATION OF THE INFORMATION PAGE OF YOUR PASSPORT The Consulate General cannot perform this service. However, the necessary notarized translation can be obtained at any translation center that has a Russian notary public present. A list of translation bureaus is available at the American Citizen Services unit upon request. Step 5: GET MARRIED Pay your marriage registration fee at any Sberkassa (Currently R200. The fee is subject to change.) Submit your paperwork and the receipt for marriage registration fee to one of the Palaces of Weddings located at 28 Angliyskaya Emb., tel.: 314-9848 or 52 Furshtatskaya Str., tel.: 273-7396 any day (open 10 am-19 pm, lunch: 2-3 pm). Please note that if you have been married before, you need to submit a certified copy of the last divorce decree (or other document proving that the previous marriage was legally terminated), with an apostille stamp. The document needs to be apostilled in the U.S. Additional information regarding obtaining an apostille stamp in the U.S. is provided upon request at the Consulate General. A notarized translation into Russian is also required. Civil service weddings are scheduled no earlier than 32 days from the wedding registration. Palace of Weddings officials will give you a price list for various wedding ceremony options. REMARKS: Please note that a U.S. state record with an apostille stamp and notarized translation into Russian stating that you are free to marry may be submitted instead of a marriage letter (step 2 and 3). Samples of state records are available at Palaces of Weddings upon request. In case a U.S. citizen fiancé(e) is in the U.S., he/she can mail to a fiancée in Russia all the required documents stated above (additionally an apostilled letter of intent to marry will be required). This will allow a Russian fiancé(e) to schedule the date of the wedding ceremony by himself/herself. While this will not eliminate the one-month waiting period, this option may be helpful to American citizens who do not plan to stay in Russia for a month, and this will help avoid having to make two trips to Russia. Samples of letters of intent to marry a Russian citizen are available at the Palaces of Weddings upon request. Updated April 2012 CONGRATULATIONS! Once you are married, you may contact the U.S. Embassy Moscow for information about obtaining immigrant visas for your spouse and his/her dependents. Please also see the U.S. Embassy’s webpage on immigration to the United States. General information on marriage overseas is available at the Department of State's webpage at http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/marriage/marriage_589.html. Please note that the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg can neither translate nor legalize U.S. documents for use in Russia. Certified copies of U.S. documents must also bear an Apostille stamp to be valid in Russia - these stamps are only available in the U.S. For more information please request a copy of our "Apostille" handout. Updated April 2012 СВИДЕТЕЛЬСТВО Настоящим подтверждаю, что в указанный выше день ниженазванный/ая гражданин/ка явился/ась лично и сделал/а заявление под присягой, текст которого прилагается. Посольство США в Москве не располагает информацией о наличии препятствий для заключения брака названного/ой гражданина/ки. ____________________________________________________ Имя заявителя (Your full name) ____________________________________________________ № Американского паспорта (Your U.S. passport #) Russian Federation............................) Moscow Oblast.................................) City of Moscow................................) Embassy of the United States of America.......) Consular Section..............................) [SEAL] Updated April 2012 ss: Дата СВИДЕТЕЛЬСТВО Я, нижеподписавшийся/аяся, , (Полное имя / Your full name) родившийся/родившаяся в , (Дата и место рождения / Your date and place of birth) гражданин Соединенных Штатов Америки, паспорт № , (№ паспорт / Your U.S. passport number) выдан в (Дата выдачи / Date of issuance) , приехал/а в Россию в (Место / Where it was issued) качестве (Бизнесмен, Турист, т.д. / Businessman, Tourist, etc.) Мой адрес в США (Адрес / Your address in the U.S.) . Я сейчас проживаю в России по адресу (Адрес / Your address in Russia) . Я желаю вступить в брак с (Полное Имя / Your fiancée’s full name) родившимся/ейся в (Дата / Date of birth) , (Место / Place of birth) гражданином/гражданкой России, проживающим/проживающей по адресу . (Адрес / Your fiancée’s address)  Я не состою и никогда не состоял в браке. (I am not and have never been married).  Я не состою в браке, а последний предшествующий брак был расторгнут (I am not married and was last divorced on…) . (Дата и место/ Date and place of your divorce) (Подпись / Your signature) Please DO NOT sign the affidavit until instructed to do so. Updated April 2012